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Canberra vs Sydney cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฆ๐บ Canberra
๐ฆ๐บ Sydney
At a glance
- Where Sydney is clearly cheaper: Laundry (32%โ)
- Where Canberra is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (49%โ), Studio rent (month) (29%โ), Restaurant dinner (20%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: getting around โ Canberra 3 vs Sydney 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Canberra | Sydney | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | A$ 22$14.7 | A$ 20$13.3 | Sydney โ9% |
| Street food1 item | A$ 16$10.7 | A$ 14$9.33 | Sydney โ12% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | A$ 48$32 | A$ 60$40 | Canberra โ20% |
| Coffeeone cup | A$ 5.2$3.47 | A$ 5.5$3.67 | Canberra โ5% |
| Beerone bottle | A$ 12$8 | A$ 12$8 | similar |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | A$ 18$12 | A$ 22$14.7 | Canberra โ18% |
| Bottled water | A$ 3.5$2.33 | A$ 3.5$2.33 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | A$ 4.5$3 | A$ 4.5$3 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | A$ 19$12.7 | A$ 19$12.7 | similar |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | A$ 11$7.33 | A$ 12$8 | Canberra โ8% |
| Transitone ride | A$ 3.41$2.27 | A$ 3.3$2.2 | similar |
| Scooter rentalper day | A$ 45$30 | A$ 50$33.3 | Canberra โ10% |
| Hotel night3-star | A$ 190$127 | A$ 220$147 | Canberra โ14% |
| Studio rent (month) | A$ 2,000$1,333 | A$ 2,800$1,867 | Canberra โ29% |
| Laundry | A$ 11$7.33 | A$ 7.5$5 | Sydney โ32% |
| SIM card1 week data | A$ 30$20 | A$ 30$20 | similar |
| Haircutcut | A$ 35$23.3 | A$ 40$26.7 | Canberra โ13% |
| Massage1 hour | A$ 90$60 | A$ 90$60 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | A$ 80$53.3 | A$ 100$66.7 | Canberra โ20% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | A$ 23$15.3 | A$ 45$30 | Canberra โ49% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Canberra or Sydney?
Canberra is 15% cheaper than Sydney. Daily budget $247 vs $274; a month $4,867 vs $6,088.
Which is easier to travel, Canberra or Sydney?
About the same: Canberra 1.4/5, Sydney 1.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Canberra and Sydney?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Canberra is about $4,867 and Sydney about $6,088 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.